


Write It In The Stars

by makkachino



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Lance (Voltron) is a Good Boyfriend, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-02
Updated: 2019-03-02
Packaged: 2019-11-08 06:46:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17976374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makkachino/pseuds/makkachino
Summary: After a rough day at work, Shiro comes home to a birthday surprise from his boyfriend. Written for the Shiro Birthday Exchange.





	Write It In The Stars

**Author's Note:**

  * For [griffonskies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/griffonskies/gifts).



Locking the back door of the planetarium for the last time carried with it a sense of finality that rocked Shiro to his core. 

He had known, of course, that today would be his last day working there. That today would be  _ everyone’s  _ last day, except for the construction workers tasked with taking apart all of the equipment, and moving it to its new home, before the entire building was demolished to make way for a new high-rise apartment complex. A lack of public interest, waning visitor numbers, and the cutting of of municipal funding had all lead to the decision.

The least they could have done, he thought, as he stepped into his Lyft home, was close up for good on any day  _ but  _ his birthday. Shiro was usually lukewarm on the event anyway, but somehow that just seemed to strengthen the blow, as if the closure was meant as an affront to him, personally. Normally, he returned home feeling tired, but the kind of tired that went along with a satisfying day’s work. Shiro loved his job at the planetarium. He loved giving tours, loved helping the university students find what they needed to do their research. He loved when astronomers and physicists came to visit and give lectures; Shiro didn’t miss a single one. He even loved teaching the children’s classes, something he was hesitant to do when he took the job three years ago.

He had made friends, even met the man he was about to come home to, at that job. They had selected their rental house because, out of all of the options in their price range, it provided him with the shortest commute. For three years, the planetarium had been such a central force in his life, that Shiro already felt lost without it. Even as the driver pulled up to his home, and Shiro walked the familiar walk up to the front door, he felt aimless. Thankfully, there was enough in savings to take care of rent for a while, but Shiro was still left with the ominous question that he never thought he would have to answer again:

_ What do I want to do now? _

He had already found the answer to that question once, and it had taken him well into his mid twenties. Shiro fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the front door. At least, this time, he wouldn’t have to do it alone-

“Hey, baby!” Speak of the devil; Lance greeted him as soon as that thought crossed his mind, before he had even opened the door all the way. He found Lance waiting for him on the other side, as if he had been waiting for Shiro to get home.

Judging by the way he was dressed - the pair of jeans Lance had dubbed his ‘hot pants’, because of the way they hugged his ass just a little tighter than the rest of his jeans, a blue button up, and a fitted blazer in charcoal gray - and the fact that Lance had a bouquet of pink and yellow flowers in hand, Shiro was almost positive that Lance really had been waiting for him to get home. Standing by the door, waiting, just for him.

For the first time that day, maybe even the first time all week, Shiro smiled. Smiled and really meant it. “What’s all this for?”

“For your birthday, duh!” Was Lance’s response, and as if claiming a reward for all of the waiting he had to do, he finally closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around Shiro’s shoulders. He pulled himself up and pressed their lips together, in a long but chaste kiss. Shiro could feel the soft flower petals teasing at the back of his neck as he soaked in the warmth of that kiss. Finally, he was starting to feel grounded again; even if he was lost, Lance would help him find his way again.

But it didn’t last. Shiro knew it wouldn’t; Lance loved getting dressed up, but if his plans consisted of a night in, he wouldn’t have bothered. He pulled away, offering Shiro his flowers. “Put these in some water and get changed. I’m taking you out!”

“Out where?” Shiro wasn’t opposed to the idea, exactly; going out might prove to be a nice distraction from the fact that his career was falling apart around him. But he wasn’t particularly in the mood for a nightclub or a crowded bar. The possibility of a giant surprise party filled him with dread. Not to mention the fact that, now that they were down one income, cup noodles and Netflix was going to have to become their new date night, until Shiro could secure another job.

Lance crossed his arms, and shook his head. “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise. You’re going to love it, I promise. Now, go on! I’ll get the car warmed up.”

Shiro nodded, and went about following Lance’s instructions; whatever it was he had planned, Lance was clearly excited about it, and Shiro didn’t have it in him to disappoint his boyfriend. His unemployment was going to be a big enough burden. Besides, Lance cared more about his birthday than he did. He might as well play along.

He was thankful that Lance had set an outfit out for him, and had even taken the liberty of tying off his right sleeve, so Shiro wouldn’t have to struggle with it one-handed. His new, improved prosthetic was set to arrive next month - something Shiro was thankful he could arrange quickly, immediately after the old one had fallen into disrepair, while he still had insurance from his job to help cover the cost - and though he was promised increased functionality and more comfort with this newer model, going without for so long felt… odd. Even though his old prosthetic could only bend at the elbow, it had become a familiar weight at his side. 

Lance wolf-whistled at him as he entered the living room, and was at his side in seconds, to help him tie his bow tie. “Damn, I’m good. You should let me pick out your clothes more often.”

Shiro laughed, enjoying the care Lance took into tying the tie perfectly. His long, thing fingers were so nimble and dexterous. “You helped me pick out almost everything in my closet, anyway. Isn’t that enough?”

“And if it weren’t for me, you’d probably just wear the same black pants, and the same black shirt, and the same black jacket, every single day.” Lance’s voice was full of affection as he complained, patting Shiro’s shoulder gently when he had completed his task. “Oh, wait, there’s one more thing I want you to wear.”

Lance took a half step back, and Shiro watched as he pulled one of his silk pocket squares out of the back pocket of his jeans. Bright red didn’t seem like the sort of color that would match the outfit Lance had picked for him, but Shiro would readily admit that he knew next to nothing about fashion trends. It was only when Lance began folding the cloth, that Shiro began to understand it’s really purpose.

“It’s a blindfold,” Lance said, echoing his thoughts.

Shiro gulped. “Why do I need to be blindfolded?” 

Lance must have sensed his apprehension, because when he spoke again, his voice was much softer. “Because if you see where we’re going, it will ruin the surprise.”

Shiro bit his lip, still a little unsure. He had readily accepted a lot of things, about how this evening was going to go. He was fine going wherever Lance wanted to go, and knew he would like whatever the planned surprise was, because Lance put a lot of thought into everything he did, especially when it came to their relationship. But this was… different.

“I’ll tie it nice and loose, so you can pull it off if you need to,” Lance went on, hushed and encouraging. “It won’t be for long, just while we’re driving and until we get inside. There’s no jump scare at the end, no one is going to jump out and yell  _ surprise _ , I promise.”

Lance wouldn’t force him to wear it; if Shiro gave him a firm  _ no _ , he was certain that Lance would put the blindfold away, and that would be that. But Shiro also trusted Lance; if he said there wasn’t going to be any sudden shouting, or jump scares when the blindfold was removed, he trusted him. Lance liked to play pranks, but he would never lie about something like that.

So Shiro bent down a little, allowing lance to secure the silky red fabric over his eyes, so loosely that Shiro wondered if it would fall down along the way. He allowed Lance to lead him out to the car, and somehow, they managed to get Shiro on without hitting his head on the doorframe. 

It was amazing how much of the drive Shiro recognized, without the ability to see his surroundings. He recognized the slight dip at the end of their driveway, and was able to anticipate the speed bump at the end of the block seconds before Lance hit it, just a bit too fast. Shiro recognized the stop sign a few blocks down, at which Lance turned left, towards the highway. When the driver cursed under his breath, Shiro knew they had reached the on-ramp - one that had a bit of a reputation in their town, for being difficult to merge off of during rush hour. However, after they had joined that traffic - Shiro knew they had, when Lance sped up so suddenly that Shiro was forced back into his seat by the force of it - Shiro quickly lost track of where they were. 

He lost track of time, as well, without a clock to tell him how much of it had passed. Lance was uncharacteristically quiet; aside from a few comments about the bad habits of other drivers that demonstrated an endearing lack of self-awareness, the driver’s seat was silent. It made the trip stretch on for what felt like an hour, but, Shiro realized, when he finally felt Lance throw the car into park and turn the engine off, couldn’t have been longer than ten or fifteen minutes.

He was opening Shiro’s door for him, a few moments later, with a gentle hand on his shoulder to help guide him out of the car. Shutting the door behind him was something Shiro could do blindfolded, but he was thankful when he felt Lance lace their fingers together, to guide him… wherever it was they were going. 

It was quiet, but there had to be other people around. Lance kept saying quick greetings to people Shiro couldn’t see, though none of them replied, and Lance kept going without stopping each time. They must have entered another room, at some point, because Shiro heard what he was pretty sure was a heavy, metal door close behind them. Even with his jacket, he felt a little cold.

“Okay, you can take the blindfold off…” Lance paused dramatically, and Shiro had to hold back a giggle. “Now!”

Shiro followed the instructions, reaching up to undo the silk knot behind his head, letting the fabric fall to the floor in what he hoped Lance found to be a theatrical display fitting the situation. He was expecting to be blinded by whatever light greeted him after he removed the blindfold, but instead found the room to be delightfully dim. He recognized it right away, of course; even though the construction workers had already managed to remove a good chunk of the chairs, the domed ceiling, alight with a map of the night sky, remained unchanged. 

It was obvious, what Lance was going for; the area where the red, plush seats had already been ripped out was covered with a picnic blanket. Waiting for them was a picnic basket, two wine glasses, and a bottle that Shiro could only hope wasn’t that overly sweet white wine that Lance loved so much.

“We’re… at the planetarium?” 

“We  _ are  _ at the planetarium!” Lance sounded infinitely more excited about that fact than Shiro was. “I asked them if they’d let us in after hours for this  _ months  _ ago. The, uh… The timing ended up being a little awkward, in the long run, but they said they didn’t care if we used the space for tonight.”

“Why did you tell me to meet you at home, if you were just going to bring me here?”

“It would have ruined the surprise!”

Shiro ran his hand through his hair. He was still trying to make peace with the fact that he would never see this place again. Yet, here he was.  _ Again _ , for the last time. 

But, when he saw the hopeful smile on Lance’s face, it was easy enough to push those mixed feelings aside. Lance had gone out of his way, to make his birthday special. Lance had set up an adorable little picnic for them. Something private. Something intimate. Exactly what Shiro really wanted, out of his birthday date.

Shiro settled in on the blanket - something that made Lance’s smile grow, until it spread out from ear to ear - peeking into the basket. “So, what did you pack for me?”

It was a nice, simple dinner; two plates of spaghetti that were, somehow, still warm (Shiro knew better, than to ask Lance how he performed this feat while they were still eating; he would just be told that it would ruin the romance), two salads, and, thankfully, a red wine that Lance insisted he didn’t mind, though the expression he made every time he took a sip suggested otherwise. Shiro kept that observation to himself; partly because he knew Lance would deny it, but mostly because the way he squinted his eyes and furrowed his brows was actually quite cute. 

They continued drinking, Lance’s head in Shiro’s lap, long after they finished their meal. Despite not enjoying the wine, Lance was way ahead of Shiro, his cheeks flushed a warm, drunken red. With only one hand, and the option between holding his glass and playing with his lover’s short, soft hair, Shiro found it difficult to keep up.

“Oh, look!” Lance said, pointing up to the starmap above them, his voice a bit shaky. “My favorite constellation is about to come around.”

Surprised, Shiro looked up, unaware that Lance knew enough about stars to have a favorite constellation. He felt his heart jump, right into the back of his throat, when he saw the arrangement Lance had to be talking about. There, right where the Big Dipper should have been, stars had been added and rearranged, to spell out four words:

**Will You Marry Me???**

Shiro stared at them, fingers still buried in Lance’s hair, until he felt the man in his lap sit up. His gaze quickly snapped back to him, and now it all made sense. Lance had been quiet in the car because he was anxious. He wasn’t blushing because he was drunk, he was blushing because he was nervous. His voice was shaking because he was about to do  _ this- _

And it was still shaking, as he began to speak, his eyes darting everywhere, as if desperate to look at anything but the man he was proposing to. “Look, I know things are really crazy right now. And I know you’re upset about losing your job, and you’re scared and starting over is really hard. I mean, just look at me, I’ve had three different jobs since we’ve met-”

“Four.” Shiro wasn’t sure why he felt the need to correct Lance on that detail, now of all times. “Four jobs.”

He didn’t seem to mind, though. His rambling continued. “The point is, change is difficult. And I know how you are, you like having something stable in your life. You like having something you can count on. So, I thought… Maybe I could be that something.”

“Lance-”

“I know, I’m not the most stable  _ person _ ; I just established that I can’t make myself stay at the same job for more than a year. I’m an impulsive shopper, I only know how to cook like four things, I lose track of time and stay up until three in the morning playing video games, my car breaks down all the time, my crazy family keeps trying to FaceTime you in the middle of the day, I skip doing the yard work when it's my turn because I hate it-”

“Lance.”

“But I can be a stable person for  _ you _ , in  _ your  _ life.” Lance finally stopped, taking a deep breath before he continued. “Because I love you, Shiro. I love you so much, and it’s not going to change, I’m never going to stop! So, I thought… Now might be a good time, to let you know that you have something you can hold onto. Something real. You have me.”

He paused again, reaching into his jacket pocket. Shiro was surprised, at the lack of the traditional black velvet ring box, but it was hard to care, when Lance showed him the dark metal band, engraved with stars and planets. “And I’d like you to have me forever. Uh, y’know, if you want. If you don’t that’s cool too, I guess-”

Shiro couldn’t take it anymore. He could feel his heart pounding, still in the back of his throat. Lunging forward in what had to be a fit of pure adrenalin, Shiro’s hand wrapped itself securely around the back of Lance’s neck, pulling him forward into a searing kiss. It took Lance a few moments to respond, but when he felt his partner’s lips part, and those long, perfect fingers gripping the front of his shirt like his life depended on it, Shiro allowed himself to close his eyes and get lost in the moment.

He didn’t need a proposal, to know that Lance loved him, or to feel like their relationship was the one stable force still left in his life. All Lance had to do was kiss him like this - with everything he had, pressing his body up against Shiro’s chest, cute, needy little sounds escaping his lips, louder and louder the more Shiro’s tongue caressed his - to make Shiro feel like the most wanted man in the universe. He kept kissing Lance, longer and deeper than he originally intended to, because he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say, to a proposal like that.

Eventually, when their lips parted, all Shiro could come up with was, “... Okay.”

Lance was still panting, his hand coming up to wipe the saliva off of his chin. “Okay?”

“Yes.” Shiro said, firmly, leaning in for another, quick kiss. “I will. I do. Lance, I- I love you.”

Somehow, Lance managed to get the ring on Shiro’s finger without breaking eye contact. His blue eyes sparkled under the fake starlight. If Shiro hadn’t already been completely and utterly in love with him, that sweet expression would have done him in, for sure.  


Everything was going to be okay. 


End file.
